Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-10-29
!EEMEA-GAu1AuR.
The McKeesport Oarsman has
a Walk-Over at Lake
Maranocook.
A Small Crowd of People Wit
ness the Race.
Gaudaur's Friends Claim that
a Lame Back Caused
His Defeat.
Special to the Kennebec Journal. I

LAKE MARANocooK, Oct. 28.
eff they don't row this morning they never
will, that's sure" said citizen of Winthrop
to the Journal scribe rs they stood on the
shore of the lake waiting for the steam launch
to take them to. the scene of the start "The
water was never finer at this season of the
year." he continued, ethan it is at the pres
ent time"
By this time the little steam launch had
arrived and the scribe, in company with sew
eral others, was making up the lake to the
boat house. Arriving there he was
disappointed at the size of the crowd which
had dwindled down to about two hundred,
where the day before thousands had stood.
The osrsmen of course were the great cen
ters of attraction and each was surrounded
by coterie Of friends and admirers. Both
claimed to be in excellent condition and to be
feeling first rate. This morning Teemer told
Mr.. T. j. Townsend of the Lake View farm,
at whose house he has been boarding since
his arrival at the take, that he never
felt better in his life or more confident of
victory.
Gaudaur talked with equal confidence
and his friends were very sanguine that his
boat would come in ahead. A little before
nine the two oarsmen pulled out into the
lake and took short practice spin and
few minutes later at precisely nine o'clock
the referee gave the signal and the oarsmen
caught the water at about the same time,
Gaudaur if anything having little
advantage and leading Teemer
few feet. The race down nearly
to the turning buoy was a good one, being
nip and tuck between the two oarsmen.
When the line was nearly reached, however,
the McKeesport boy rowed away from Gaud-
aur as though he had been anchored, and
turning the buoy, started down on the home
stretch with good lead, his time to the turn
being minutes and 40 seconds. Both oars
men rowed from 33 to 35 stroke. In con-
versation with the Journal man Ross claimed
that Teemer's stroke was between 32 and 50,
but the veracity of the half breed sculler is
certainly to be questioned. Other members
of the Press made the stroke the same as the
journal man between 33 and 35, and news
paper men are unprejudiced.
One of the gentlemen on the press boat,
shouted to Teemer, "what is the matter with
Gaudaur?" "Nothing" was the reply 'only
he is little slow" To say that the people
on the shore were disappointed at the way in
which the race ended would be putting it
mild. They were simply di'gusted.
When Gaudaur saw the strong lead which
Teemer had gained on the home stretch, he
seemed to lose all heart and the race from
that point was farce. Gaudaur padded
along without any show of spirit and Teemer
slowed down preceptibly, his time for the
race being 10 minutes and 46 seconds, as
taken by one of Gaudaur's hackers. This is
probably correct as the gentleman who took
il could have no object in giving
Teemer any better time than he actually
made, and his time is number of secon ds
faster than that sent out by several of the
reporters. The press boat went ahead of
beaten, but please don't give me the wash"
The race is big disappointment to Gsu-
daur's hackers and friends who thought that
it would be a hot one. But one thing
is certain, there was no put-up-job as both
men had not the slightest friendly feeling
for each other.
Winthrop people were generally in favor
of Gaudaur and expressed much disappoint-
ment in conversation with the Journal man
at the poor success of their favorite. Tee
mer and his friends at once took the train Tor
Portland, and will go on to New York. He
sails for England the middle of November to
meet Bnbear on the Thames.
After the race the friends of Gaudaur
made the discovery that his defeat was due
not to "a broken outrigger" or a. ''poor boat
but a lame back which has troubled him ever
since he came to the lake, and which has
Obliged him to wear a plaster. This proba-
blv accounts for the great nervousness of
Gsudaur on Thursday. His friends howev-
er fail to give any satisfactory explanation
of his confident assertion that he was In
yood condition-never better in his life, and
that he could row strong and he believed
winning race. This assertion doubtless be-
guiled many of his admirers into making bets
which proved decidedly expensive to them.
Fred Plaisted told the Journal man in con-
after the race that he had known
for several days that Gaudaur was not IN the
better of physical condition, but even Fred.
had nothing to say about the "plaster." The
trnth of the matter is that Teemer is the
best oarsman, and any amount OF excuses
for Gaudaur at this date will not detract from
the laurels which were fairly won BY the